A fine patinated and gilt bronze Grand Tour bust of Pericles on a square marble base. Born 493 bc, died 429 bc. For over 20 years, at Athens' height, the city was dominated by the aloof, 'Olympian' figure of Pericles. A magnificent orator with a reputation for scrupulous honesty, Pericles deepened and extended the reforms that Cleisthenes had set in motion some 50 years before. A keen patron of learning and the arts, he masterminded the construction of the Parthenon. However, in glorifying Athens, he set it upon a collision course with Sparta that would ultimately lead to its ruin. 11 inches high ( 28 cms). Circa 1860.